Frame Size (H x L): 5.5” x 5”
Flag Size (H x L): 2” x 1.25”

Offered is a scarce flag with three stars, made to be worn by a suffragette. It includes the following overprint:

AMENDMENT
NO. XI
CALIFORNIA
CAMPAIGN
1896

Amendment Number XI was on the ballot, in California, on November 3^rd, 1896. A “yes” vote supported the amendment to provide women with the right to vote, while a “no” vote opposed the amendment. The amendment was defeated with the “yes” votes accounting for 44.6% of the total, and the no votes accounting for 55.4% thereof.

A significant roadblock to amending the state constitution was that the right of women to vote became entangled with the right to manufacture, sell, and drink alcohol. Specifically, those supporting temperance were likely to support women’s suffrage, the thought being that women were allies to their position. In contrast, those opposed to temperance were likely to oppose women’s suffrage, the thought being that keeping women from voting was critical to maintaining business as usual with respect to alcohol.

There were several notable, highly populated counties—which favored business interests, including the buying, selling, and consuming of alcohol—which voted against Amendment Number XI, including San Francisco County (73.9% against), San Mateo County (70.1% against), Marin County (69.2% against), Contra Costa County (62.3% against), Sacramento County (60.0% against), Sonoma County (59.6% against), Alameda County (59.3% against), and Santa Clara County (51% against).

The flag offered herein includes three stars, wherein each star represents what the maker referred to as a “free state.” Prior to Amendment Number XI being on California’s ballot, there were three free states and, thus, three earned stars, per the maker’s view: one representing Wyoming, which granted women the right to vote in December of 1869; one representing Colorado, which granted women the right to vote in November of 1893; and one representing Utah, which granted women the right to vote in January of 1896.

Suffragette star counts are extraordinarily rare. The flag offered herein is only the third such example that we have encountered, in this exact form, in over a decade of chasing outstanding flags. And even if we expand out to suffragette star counts, in all forms, we know of ten or fewer such examples.

In 1911, women in California received the right to vote via Amendment Number VIII, making California the sixth state to pass such legislation. The Amendment in 1911 faced headwinds in highly populated counties, but it fared better, in such counties, than the Amendment in 1896. In total, 246,487 ballots were cast with a margin of 3,587—a remarkably small, but adequate, number of votes—in favor of granting women the right to vote.

Though initially targeted as a state-by-state movement, it was ultimately recognized that only an amendment to the Constitution would grant all women the right to vote nationwide. By 1918, both Republicans and Democrats were committed to women’s suffrage, in part based on the major role women played in World War I. As such, in January of 1918 and June of 1919, an amendment was passed by two-thirds majorities in the House and Senate, respectively. On August 18th, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment, giving the two-thirds of state legislators necessary to ratify the amendment. On August 26th, the Nineteenth Amendment became part of the Constitution, and stated the following:

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Conservation Process: This flag was professionally conserved. It is sewn to silk and positioned behind Optium Museum Acrylic.

Frame: The flag offered herein is in an outstanding, modern black frame. It has a rippled profile.

Condition Report: There is a horizontal split near the top of the flag. The flag is mounted and stabilized, such that the split is barely noticeable.

Collectability Level: The Best – Perfect for Advanced Collectors
Date of Origin: 1896